This invention relates to an enclosure for a thermal protector, and especially to an enclosure for a shut-off switch for use in a lighting fixture.
Shut-off switches are typically connected electrically in series with an element or device which may experience high temperatures such as but not limited to an incandescent lamp. When the temperature sensed by the switch exceeds a predetermined value, the switch electrically opens thereby serving to protect the circuitry and the fixture itself from overheating.
For attaching the switch to a lighting fixture, the shut-off switch is first wrapped in a heat shrunk insulated sleeve. The wrapped shut-off switch is then placed in an open-ended rectangular metallic box. The box has two arms for holding the wrapped shut-off switch therein. Finally, a plurality of legs extending from the open-ended periphery of the box serve as fasteners for clipping the box to a metal plate which is stamped within the lighting fixture frame.
It is therefore desirable to provide an improved enclosure for a shut-off switch attachable to a lighting fixture which is less costly and cumbersome to assemble than as described above.